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I opted out of the test too but my midwife has me taking probiotics regularly to help reduce the likelihood of me having it at the time of delivery. I don't think I could stick to a complicated regimen like the one you found.

No, if it works it actually gets rid of the bacteria. My midwife says if you really do it religiously it works most of the time.

Don't shoot me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the method of choice for getting rid of GBS in western Europe. She said she's not sure why the US won't embrace it. I suspect it's because they have to trust you to do it when our preferred method is to pump you full of drugs.

Awesome, thanks so much! I never worried about this once till recently when I saw 'I didn't know I was pregnant' & the ladies baby was very ill from untreated GBS. TV really knows how to scare people. Ugh.

I was literally JUST about to pot this same thing, I am also hoping for some acvice.

In the states my Home Birth Dr didn't even test for GBS because he felt that the risks were so low and the Anti-biotic treatment wasn't even proven to do much of anything, and the whole thing just causes stress for the mom. Now that I have a midwife here in Manitoba, I was planning on declining the testing once I reached the time they normally test for it at about 36 weeks.

At 13 weeks they did a urine culture (I had no idea they were doing it, I just thought they were testing for the usual protein and sugars) and it came up positive for GBS. My midwives instantly said that I had to take an anti-biotic and have an IV anti-biotic during labor. I am frustrated because in my research I'm not so sure I want to do that. I have the choice to decline any treatment, but I'm still trying to figure out what the repercussions are of doing that. (am I put on the bad mommy list? are they going to force extra testing on my baby?)

I'm hoping to find a way to get the bacteria out of my body before the birth just to get them off my back. I think that I have seriously depleted the natural bacteria in my body in the past by taking antibiotics for bladder infections, and I want to work to build it back up. It's just frustrating that they use all the scare tactics against you and make you feel like you have the power to make it all better by pumping yourself and the baby with a mega dose of anti-biotics.

In my research, Group B strep is found in up to 40% of people naturally. It originates in the digestive tract, but it can travel to the vagina. The bacteria comes and goes, so you can test positive one week and negitive the next. The chance of the baby contracting the bacteria during birth is like 1 in 2000, and the odds of the infected babies actually getting sick from it is like 1 in 2000. Your odds of the baby contracting it is increased by the baby being premature or underweight, or if the bag of waters breaks for up to 12 hours before birth, or if the mother has a fever during labor. My babies so far have been born within days of their due date both wieghed over 8 pounds. Plus my water never broke until they were practically crowning both times.

So all that to say, that I am really bothered by this dilemma and I'm hoping you ladies have some advice on how to deal with this?
Melissa

I have read all the same stuff as you, and am considering refusing antibiotics even if I'm positive.

I would say, do every natural remedy you can to get rid of it for your later test, and if you're still pos, then decide what you're more comfortable with.

Considering I am DEATHLY afraid of needles and want to avoid an IV at all costs - I don't even know if I could calm down enough to birth with one in - I think I would be better off watching baby for any symptoms.

I was GBS positive with my first 2 pregnancies, and yes you can have it one week and next you dont have that is why they test so close to your due date (not sure why they even bothered at 16 weeks), after I found out with my first I talked to my naturopath and he treated it, and I never had any antibiotics during labour, I refused it, said I would take them if I had a fever, water was broken for 24+ hours etc. Never had any problems with my babies. My last 2 pregnancies I was negative but I did similar "treatment" before the tests.

I was literally JUST about to pot this same thing, I am also hoping for some acvice.

In the states my Home Birth Dr didn't even test for GBS because he felt that the risks were so low and the Anti-biotic treatment wasn't even proven to do much of anything, and the whole thing just causes stress for the mom. Now that I have a midwife here in Manitoba, I was planning on declining the testing once I reached the time they normally test for it at about 36 weeks.

At 13 weeks they did a urine culture (I had no idea they were doing it, I just thought they were testing for the usual protein and sugars) and it came up positive for GBS. My midwives instantly said that I had to take an anti-biotic and have an IV anti-biotic during labor. I am frustrated because in my research I'm not so sure I want to do that. I have the choice to decline any treatment, but I'm still trying to figure out what the repercussions are of doing that. (am I put on the bad mommy list? are they going to force extra testing on my baby?)

I'm hoping to find a way to get the bacteria out of my body before the birth just to get them off my back. I think that I have seriously depleted the natural bacteria in my body in the past by taking antibiotics for bladder infections, and I want to work to build it back up. It's just frustrating that they use all the scare tactics against you and make you feel like you have the power to make it all better by pumping yourself and the baby with a mega dose of anti-biotics.

In my research, Group B strep is found in up to 40% of people naturally. It originates in the digestive tract, but it can travel to the vagina. The bacteria comes and goes, so you can test positive one week and negitive the next. The chance of the baby contracting the bacteria during birth is like 1 in 2000, and the odds of the infected babies actually getting sick from it is like 1 in 2000. Your odds of the baby contracting it is increased by the baby being premature or underweight, or if the bag of waters breaks for up to 12 hours before birth, or if the mother has a fever during labor. My babies so far have been born within days of their due date both wieghed over 8 pounds. Plus my water never broke until they were practically crowning both times.

So all that to say, that I am really bothered by this dilemma and I'm hoping you ladies have some advice on how to deal with this?
Melissa

you could just refuse it if you don't want the antibiotics...or if you want to go a route where its not as "mommy refusing! warning" then you do the hibiclense and some probiotics for a week and have them retest you (its a simple swab on the outer area of your vagina and rectum). Then you would most likely be negative and they would stop pressuring you.
I wouldn't take the antibiotics---so really I don't know why I didn't think just to decline the test....I'm going to just decline it when I get to that part.

They do have probiotic pills that are refrigerated. as far as the yougrt goes... most of the bacteria is killed in your gut from the acid so you don't get very much in the end. yougrt is still very good though and it is benificial to have it every day.